Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-31
BEATS THE RECORD.
statistics show That About Thirteen
Thousnnd Miles OF Main Track Have
Been suflt This Year.

Been suflt This Year.
Chicago, Dec. 29.-The Railway Age
tomorrow will say: aHhe year 1887 has
surpassed all other yeszs iii the extent
Of railway mileage construction in the
United States. When SIX months ago
the prediction was nader these coI-
umns that the total new mileage for the
year w5uld not be lees than 10000 miles,
with the likelihood OF surpsEsing the
recosd Of l8S2-the year of greatest rail-
way construction in the history u the
country-it was not generally believed.
Bnt the figures obtained by careful In
vestiGation throughout the year and
confirmed by ofieial information now
show the prediction TO have .been more
than warranted. Our fetnrnB show that
during 1888 no less than ~, 724 miles Of
new rnain line track were added TO the
railway system lot the United States.
no account being taken OF the
odd hundreds OF miles
lof side tracks built, nor Of the thousande
Of miles OF Main limo tracks relaid. While
the search has been upasnaUy thorough.
and tho totals corrobotate the record
kept from week 10 week, is is not i'm
probable that Some scattering additions
may yet be received; 30 that il ia safe to
state shat In 1887 nearly, il mot quite,
1900 miles OF new Ennln line track were
constructed. When in 1889, during g.
period Of extraordinary activity, 1858
miles Of new road were built ID was gem
orally believed that theme figures would
NOT again be equaled. In the following
ysar the new construction telk to 6.741
miles; Ii 1884 10 1925 and in 1885 to
8,6U8 miles. The year 1886 Witnessed i
considsrable revival OF activity, aid o.
200 mites Of new roAd were buiIt-a
greater mileage than in any previous
year, with the exception of 1881 aud
1882; and now la 1887 has Witnessed the
building OF more miles of railway than
1855 and 1885 combined and mot much
Liesa than 12oE
"a recapitulasion OF the construction
In the different Hcctions OF the country
shoRs that the greater part
OF this pfodigious increase OF railways
has taken place In o few Western states.
New EoGland and New York contribute
scarcely anything TO the great total. the
great middle states q very little, and the
sdditiops in the southern states not as
large % many anticipated, although Ala
hanna preBenss = fine record aith over
600 miles; Georgia; adds 230iniies. Fl0ri4
da nearly 200, and Kentucky and North
Carolina each q little less than that.
The northwestern states, including
Michigan, ILLINOIS. iowa end Minnesota,
have shown Tery considerable activity,
but the great rush OF fail9ay building
has been IN the central belt west OF the
Maesouri river. Kansas leads with the
@atal ot 1910 miles: Nebraska comes
next with ! ,l01 miles almost equaled
~ Texas With 1865 miles Then
in order corae She following:
Colorado. S18 Dakota: 100:
b64; Indian Territory, 3 and 40 on
Kansss, Texas, Nebrsska, Colorado, Da-
dItion Of over $500 miles, or about one
county. Many Of tho lines have besn
country repairing hut little grading and
bridge building; bnt on the other hand
many iines have been very costly for ex-
ample thoee oyer tic Rocky mountains
lin Colorado, the Houshern Pacific exten-
tion In Northern California, she Atchi-
sons Kansas City and Chicago extension;
she Northern Pacifi0 work on the
UAscaae mountains and others. More
lover several of the companies have
purchased costly terminal iacilisies
in large Cities while naarly all
have made extensive purchases OF
equipment. Its probably fair TO
assume that tho total cost Of railway.
bridgss. station buildinga, terminal
facilities and equipment Of these new
i}inea nynrared S26 ONO nnr mile. At wh{Db
rate il appears that not far from $685.
900 900 have baen expended on she Inca
completed during the year. The money
which has thns been expended has
temporarily atnployedsa large army .oi
workEeu and has also furnished per-
manent employment 20 smother .gpeat
army, probahly ~aggraGatinG 66.00 per,
SONS. The railsay miissss Of the
United states Is tfe npmmencerncnt oi
1882 was stated 20 be 1877 1885 raifes,
The extensions sof the year here record
ID increase II to160s.7t0 milss.
ALN aA-